"We depolyed multiple air and surface assets and coordinated with other commercial vessels in the area to exhaustively cover a search area of more than 17,000 square nautical miles; but unfortunately, we still did not locate him.," said Capt. Duke Walker, chief of response for the Eighth Coast Guard District. "As a result, we suspended the search."

At 10:10 a.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston overheard a VHF-FM radio broadcast from the 750-foot vessel, New Confidence, reporting that a crewmember fell overboard wearing casual clothing and no life jacket. Sector Houston relayed the distress call to the Eighth District command center.

The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to mariners in the area.